1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to video identification. More particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer readable program code for identifying a point within a digital video frame and tracking the point from frame to frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several methods are currently used to interpret an image within a digital video frame. Some of the most common methods are pattern matching and edge detection. Both methods have been studied at length.
A digital picture consists of pixels which are normally represented by colors comprised of 256 possibilities of red, green and blue. Current applications require precise identification of “Interest Points” such as corners, which can then be tracked accurately and unambiguously from frame to frame. However, in any digital image containing a large number of pixels, no points are clearly defined when the image is analyzed at the pixel level. Corners, that appear to be clearly defined to the naked eye, are simply a fuzzy collection of similar pixels when observed up-close. Edge detection also has this problem, which is overcome by converting to grayscale and applying a Gaussian blur to smooth the differences from pixel to pixel. Edge detection then calculates gradients. Although this method yields excellent results in edge detection, it is very poor at precise identification of points and then the subsequent identification of the same point in the next frame. The reasons why edge detection methods will not work for point identification are:                The Gaussian blur removes any clear identification regarding which pixel is at the corner point.        Gray scale methodologies remove any accurate color identity to track the same point in subsequent frames.        Sharp corners are rounded in edge detection, making clear identification impossible.        
Thus, the current technologies lack the capability to accurately identify a point in a digital video frame and track the point from frame to frame.